Linguine con Pesce
Region: Italy, Tuscany
Category: Pasta with Fish
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy
I’ve mentioned before that I am very fond of pasta with fish sauce. I first had linguine con pesce years ago as a primo piatto in some long forgotten Tuscan restaurant or trattoria in, I think, Leghorn (Livorno). I’m not even sure this is the dish I had, but I remember what I like so I keep fooling around with the basic concept, coming up with versions that I enjoy. Here’s another one, and its dandy.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
1 pound ocean catfish (wolffish) or red snapper fillets, cut in 1/4-inch thick slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, 1 crushed and 3 finely chopped
2 dried red chiles
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 pound linguine
1. Toss the fish with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the basil and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. In a flame-proof casserole, preferably earthenware, heat the remaining olive oil, over medium-high heat with the crushed garlic and red chiles until the garlic begins to turn light brown. Remove and discard the garlic and chiles. If you want the final dish to be hotter, leave the chiles in the casserole.
3. Add the onion to the casserole and cook until translucent, stirring, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, and season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Turn the heat under the casserole to medium, add the fish and cook until the fish is pale white and the sauce bubbling and pinkish, about 8 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, for every pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat, salt abundantly with up to 1/2 cup of salt, then add the pasta in handfuls. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together, until al dente. Drain without rinsing.
Transfer the pasta to the casserole and toss well with the sauce and serve without cheese.
Posted: 12/18/2006
